Spray drier



Aug. 16, 1932 W VIi BIQHMW I l 671 n? SPRAY DRIER Filed Dec. 7, 192s 2sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR l's/LL/AM ITB/CHA RDS AT ORNEYS Patented Aug.16, 1932 UNITED STATES lMT1-:NT OFFICE WILLIAM r. aIcIIAIuJs, or MAsoN,MICHIGAN, AssIGNoR To s. M. A, conromrIoN', or CLEVELAND, A oonPoRArIoNor oHIo SPRAY mman application nlearecember '7, 192s. 'semi No. 324,559.

This invention relates to spray driers for liquid products, such 'asmilkv or itsk components, such as caseinates, milk -sugar and the flike.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve theconstruction and operation of these driers, and more particularly l toprovide a. system or arrangement of dust collectors which deliver any ofthe useful fine product which they collect upon the main floor or in aposition where it may be collected and mixed and discharged with themain body of ythe material. It is also an object of the invention toimprove the structure of the-dust ll collecting means and the baiilingmeans for the incoming heated air and at the same time avoid unduecollection `of material uponv the.

baiie and'prevent it from becoming scorched or burned and contaminatingthe rest of the @a batch.

Various features of the invention are clearly set forth in the followingdescription, drawings and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a View partly in vertical sectionand `partly in elevation showing the apparatus; Fig; 2 is averticalsection through one ofthe dust collecting chambers; Fig. 3 is a detailvertical section through an operating cylinder on the Vline 3 3, Fig. 1;Fig. 4 is a vsectional plan view on approximately the line 4-4, Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view partly in sec-` tion and partly inelevation, showing the manner of mounting the parts; and Fig.k 6 is aldetail view in vertical section showing a construction alternate withthat indicated in- Fig. 2.

In the drawings 1 represents a suitable iioor having a smooth surfacewith a central opening 2 therein and a substantiallyradially disposedchannel 3 extending beyond the outer wall, as will appear, andl in whichis a screw conveyor 5 for conveying the material outwardly alongthechannel to a collecting bin or receptacle (not shown). Arranged uponthe floor 1 and concentric with the opening 2 is a cylindrical side wall6 .of what I term the base chamber. Extending inwardly from the upperedge of this Wall is an annular dust collector floor 7 connected at its-tainer, but the wa above the extremity of the wall 8.

ceiling wall 9. The wal1s8 and 9` together form an inverted c lindricalcasing f-or onlil 9. which isi the cei ing member, is supportedindependently 'of the wallsv8 as by chains 10 passin overfsheaves 10aand-havingconnection wit weights 10b, the sheaves 10a .being supportedon any suitable `superstructure such as that indicated 4at 11, Vsuch asa part of the building 11a in which ther drier `is housed] Fig.I 5;Thus. should an explosion occur within the' walls 8, the ceiling 9 willyield upwardl to protect the structure from the stresses w ich wouldotherwise result; and should the explosion have sufficient force theceiling 9 may rise Extendingfupwardly above the wall 6 is a dustcollector'side Iwall 13 having'a roof or ceiling 14 extending tothe sidewall 8 of the main drying chamber. The v:annular space formed by thewall 13, the floor 7 and the ceilingj14 is divided into a plurality ofcompartments 15 by suitable radially extending partitions 16. In thefloor 7 and grouped around the center of 'each of these compartments isa collection of openings 17, each provided'with a suitable recess 18 forreceiving a resilient expansion ring 19v adapted to be inserted within astocking or other foraminous dust collecting tube or bag 20- to secureits lower end distended. An "alternate con' struction is indicated inFig. "6 wherein sleeves 19a are secured in the floor. 7 with portionsextending there above and provided with the prongs 19b-indicated`aspunched vout therefrom so that the stockings 20 may i it isrforced downandthe stockings are allowed to sag. By a quick intermittent supply pipe28 which is connected to any suitable ex austing means. Lying belowthefoor lis a heatin chamber-,29 providedwith a blower 30, eating coils31 and an upwardly extending lue 32l vwhich projects up through andsnugly lits the openin 2. Rotatably mounted .in sp1- ders 33 wit 'nthisflue 32 is a vertical shaft 34 extending out through the bottom of theline and there driven by suitable gearing from a motor 35, as by thebelt 36, shaft 37 l and gearing 38. This shaft 34 projects up'- abovethe upper end of theue where it is provided with a balein the formof alower cone 39 and an upper cone 40 having their bases connectedtogetherand presenting their conical faces one to the incoming air through theflue 32 and the other upward toward the material as it settles down inthe process, as will appear. The objectof this upper cone is to reventthe line dust-like product from sett ing or lodging upon the top of the-bale and becoming scorched or burned and thereby-contaminating theentire batc Extendingradially from opposite sides of ythe lower cone arearms 41 bent down to form hanger portions 42 extending vertically alongthe outside of thelue 32 and then bent outwardv in radial scraper arms43. The two vertical portions 42-maybe strengthened by a suitableconnecting ring ,44. Secured to the arms 43 are suitable lrakes orscrapers generally indicated at 45. 4The arms 43 and scrapers extendbeyond the skirt 12 into the annular' bay and are adapted to serve'notonly that porton of the floor within the main chamber, but also thefloor in the bay under the dust collectors, so that all of the materialupon the entire floor is scraped up and carried into the channel 3 andis delivered by` conveyor 5 outside of the'drier. The material to betreated is near the top thereof. Thesespraying dcvices are connected toany suitable source of supply of the materialto be treated.

In operation the several parts are set in motion. lwith air delivered tothe heating chamber 29 and exhaust effective upon the supplied throughsuitable spraying devices 46 spaced around .the wall of the main dryingchamber exhaust pipes 28. This results in heated air being suppliedthrough the lue 32 and being distributed by the double cone baille tothe main drying chamber where it rises and meets the material to betreated, which is being showered into the chamber by the sprayingdevices. As the spray or mist settles down through the heatedair,-itvdries and collects upon the main lfloor, the draft beingsubstantially up at the center and down at the sides to the base of vthechamber, where the air stream passes under the skirt 12 into the annularbay. Most of the dried product settles upon ioor 1 inthe main chamberbefore the air stream enters the bay, but any fine product'which mightbe carried up and out to exhaust is stopped when the rising air currentpasses up through the various stockings or tu es .and is collected as aline deposit on the inner surfaces thereof. Periodically the jarringdevices for the stockings are operated `and any materia-l collected inthe stockings shakes down upon the main floor beyond the skirt 12, fromwhence it is scraped with the material in the main drying chamber andcarried yinto the radial slot and is thence delivered to the outside ofthe apparatus.

vIn orderto obtain access to th-e main compartment,the base chamber wall6 is usually provided with a vestibule 47 Vleading 'through a speciallyformed passageway 43 to the main chamber, the outer opening of thisvestibule being closed by a suitable door 49.

zlifaving'described my invention, I claim:

1. Drying apparatus of the class described, comprising a hollow casinghaving wall portions orming a drying chamber, a ceiling membermounted atthe top of said chamber and movable bodily and vertically toward .andaway from the upper edge of said wall portions, andmeans for yieldinglysupporting the ceiling member, whereby upon sui- 4cient increase inpressure within said chamber said ceiling member moves away from theedge of the chamber wall portions .and opens a free vent from saidchamber to atmosphere.

' 2. Apparatus for drying liquids, comprisingl a floor, an invertedhollow casing having a. skirt open 'at the bottom, wall means en-Vclosing'an annular bay outside of the skirt,

said skirt terminating above the floor level to provide beneath theskirt edge an unobstructed annular entrance to the bay, the

:oorbeing continuous throughout the inner casing chamber and the outerbay chamber, Hoor scraping means rotatable about the central verticalaxis and extending through the bay entrance and effective uponsubstantiallythe entire floor area, fine dust collecting means adaptedto separate the fine'dust from the airflowing into the bay and arrangedto deliver such material upon the Hoor of the bay, whereby the scrapingvmeans continuously and tboroughlymixes the fine dust deposited upon thebay floor with the coarser material deposited upon the inner chamberfloor, to form a homogeneous good quality product, means for sprayingliquid to be dried into the upper portion of the inner chamber, andmeans for supplying a current of heated air to said inner chamber at alevel above the lower edge of said skirt and in a direction away fromthe entrance to said bay, to cause the air current to travel through acircuitous path and thereby increase the proportion of materialdeposited in the inner chamber as compared with that` deposited in thebay.

3. Apparatus for drying liquids, comprising a floor, an inverted hollowcasing having a skirt open at the bottom, wall means enclosing anannular bay outside of the skirt, said skirt terminating above the floorlevel to provide beneath the skirt edge an unobstructed annular entranceto the bay, the oor being continuous throughout the inner casing chamberand the outer bay chamber, floor scraping means rotatable about thecentral vertical axis and extending through the bay entrance andeffective upon substantially the entire Hoor area, fine dust collectingmeans adapted to separate the fine dust from the air iiowing into thebay and arranged to deliver such material upon the floor of the bay,whereby the scraping means continuously and thoroughly mixes the finedust deposited upon the bay Hoor with the coarser material depositedupon the inner chamber floor, to form a homogeneous good qualityproduct` said hay having an annular roof, and said walls enclosing aseries of compartments above said roof and spaced around the outside ofsaid casing, said dust collectors being located in said compartments anddischarging through the bay roof 'onto the bay floor.

4. Drying apparatus of the class described, comprising a casing havingwall portions forming a drying chamber` a ceiling member located at thetop of said chamber within its wall portion and movable bodily andvertically relative thereto, the upper end of the casing being open andunobstructed to permit the ceiling member to move bodilytoward andaway'from the upper end of the casing, and means for yieldablysupporting the ceiling member, whereby upon moderate increase inpressure the ceiling member is adapted to move upwardly within the wallportions and upon heavy increase in pressure to move beyond the wallportions and provide a. freely open vent from the chamber to atmosphere.

In testimony whereof I hereby aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM F. RICHARDS.

